Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-01-21
A DESPERATE DEED.
G.B. RObersOn's Attempted
Arson.
TAKEN TO JAIL,
And On the Road He cuts
His Throat to Escape
Disgrace.

"Wednesday night, after eight O'Clock
a butcher in the employ of Dawson
Powell & Co., at the Palace meat market
corner of Third and Spring streets, hat
occasion to approach sink IN th'
fartbest corner of the back store for TIM
purpose of cleaning hatchet. To nj
surprise he saw light through knot
hole in the flooring in the cellar below
This cellar is employed as storeroon
for G.. B. Robertson & Co., dealers IL
furniture, who have their place OF bust
ness at 202 Spring street, just over th'
basement. The butcher went into ths
yard and descending the steps leading IL
the cellar, pushed open the door. q
large quantity of excelsior was found
piled up high in an open
ing of the wall supporting
the cross beams of the floor. This in
flamable material was completely sat
urated with coal oil. In the middle oi
it kind of nest had been scooped out
in which lighted candle had been
placed, which would have burned few
hours and then would have set hre to
the excelsior. There was large lot OF
chairs piled up near it, in order to pro
vide food for the flames. The floor,
being only about a foot and half above
the ulle.of saturated stuff would imme-
diatelv have burned and ere the engines
could come the whole block would have
been destroyed. The butcher removed
the candle and took it upstairs andnotice
was given to the Chief of police.
A con nsultation between the officers
resulted in their placing the unlight d
candle back in it place. Officers Lew
erich and Haskins were Immediately
detailed to watch the piacs for the re-
turn OF the frebug and to take him alive
or dead, but he did not return that night.
Yesterday, after nghtfall, Officer Lev
erich was again set to watch the cellar,
and took his seat on box just in front
of the knot hole in the floor, through
which the very place where the excel
sior laid could be seen and light i'm
mediately detected. Henry Ewald, a
saddler, who has his shop next door.
at No. 2O4. took his position
in the back yard privy, SO that
between the officer and himself the
would. be criminal could not escape de-
lection if he returned. A little before I
Robertson, the furniture man, came ont
bv the back door of his store, went
down .the cellar stairs and disappeared
inside. A moment after Officer Leverich
saw the flicker of the candle in the ex-
celsior. He rushed out of the back door
of the butcher store and together with
Ewald hastily ran to the cellar door.
Just then Robertson stepped out and he
was arrested. Officer Leverich searched
him and proceeded down towards the
police office with him. At the corner OF
Spring and Second streets, without
q sign or word of warning.
Robertson pulled open a pocket knife,
which he had managed to conceal from
the officer. Before he coald be pre-
vented he had stuck the three-inch
blade into bis throat, on the right side,
and severed his windpipe. The blood
pushed forth in a strong stream from the
horrible wound, but the desperate man
bad the strength to reach the police
office. where he sank down on the fioor
in a swoon, his life's blood pouring out
out of the gaping wound and covering
him and the ground. DIR. Baker, who
was present, Immediately attempted
to sew up the cash. but it
was impossible, as every effort started
the hemorrhage again. DIR. Hagan also
came in, but between the two physicians
all that could be done was to bandags
the horrible cut.
The partner of Robertson In the fur
piture business is q man named j. H..
Heffner. who lives at the corner of Fourth
and Spring streets. Captain Tyler and
Officer Haskins Immediately went to
this mans house aud arrested him on
suspicion of being connected in the
conspiracy to burn up the furni.
ture store. Heffner was locked
mn in cell and was soon
afterward interviewed by HERALD re-
norter. He said that he believed their
place to be insured for $500, but he
did not know it positively as his partner
had attended to that business. He had
no idea of the cause of the attempted
arson, He sad that the firm kept no
books except a cash book, as they did
onlv a cash business. Their business is
very fiourishing and he did not think
that thew owed over 5000 to Fniler 4
Day and G. w. Craig, both furniture
manufacturing firms of Upper Main
street, and they we're not indebted to
ANYBODY else. Robertson and he mad
gone into partnership in the furniture
business a. 2O2 on the l4th OF October
last. share and share alike. He posi-
tively denied that he had had the slight
eat intimalion of the criminal designs OF
his partner. Robertson, during few
I. moments of consciousness, made state.
ment to the captain of police by which
he exonerated his partner fully OF com.
plicity in the attempted arson. He made
some admissions which the police are IN.
willing to divulge for the present, and
which cannot, therefore, be now gwen.
THE doctors state that Robertson can
not recover and that he will probably
die this morning. He came here from
San Diego in the beginning OF October,
where he attempted to obtain the agency
of the Equitable Life Assurance Com
panv of New York, through their gen
erai agent at San Francisco. He formerly
lived at Dallas, Texas. He is married
and resides with his wife, who is IN a fal
advanced state of pregnancy, at No. q
Ninth street. Heffner is from Lafayette
Ind. and came here last spring.
nd.